The sanctuary got a call from the shelter in 2008 about an 8-month-old puppy that had been dropped off by its owner who said the animal “was much larger than he had anticipated it growing, and that he couldn’t handle the dog.”

"We stepped in and provided a home for him and he has been with us ever since," sanctuary volunteer Brittany Allen told Bored Panda.

When sanctuary officials tested the animal, they discovered he wasn’t 100 percent wolf, although he looked like a wolf..

A photo of Yuki looking humongous went viral last month, and while he is a big guy at 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighing 120 pounds, the sanctuary said on its social media page that the angle of the photo makes Yuki look even larger. The sanctuary denied accusations that it had doctored the picture.